Penn State’s 2026 roster keeps taking shape, and one of the newest additions is a name that could matter quickly: punter Lucas Tenbrock.
Tenbrock officially joined the Nittany Lions this week, becoming another freshman from Penn State’s 2026 recruiting class to land on the roster. He’s not just another body in camp, either. The punter arrives with a real chance to push for the starting job right away when Penn State opens training camp in August.
So far, 12 of Penn State’s 15 2026 signees have been officially added to the roster. The other three are already on campus and are expected to become official soon. The Nittany Lions currently list 107 players, including a group of freshman walk-ons, and are expected to start camp with at least 110 players.
Tenbrock’s path to Happy Valley has already taken a turn or two. He signed with Penn State in February after first signing with Iowa State in December as part of head coach Matt Campbell’s 2026 class. Now he’s in position to compete with Nathan Tiyce for the punting job left open by Gabe Nwosu.
At 6-6 and 210 pounds, Tenbrock brings size to the position, along with some offensive line background. He started at right tackle for St.
Charles North (Ill.) High in 2024, then shifted into a sixth-lineman role last season so he could spend more of his time punting.
His specialist résumé is strong. Tenbrock was voted specialist of the year twice in the DuKane Conference, where he handled punting and kicking duties for St.
Charles North. As a junior, he averaged 43 yards per punt attempt and went 42-for-42 on extra points.
He also led the team with six successful onside kick attempts.
The accolades go beyond the conference level, too. Tenbrock was an all-state selection and ranked as the fifth-best punter nationally by the 247Sports Composite.
Penn State’s punting competition should be a real one. The Nittany Lions also brought in former Mississippi State punter Nathan Tiyce from the transfer portal. Tiyce, listed at 6-5 and 229 pounds, had the position mostly to himself during spring drills, but Tenbrock will give him a challenge.
Campbell has shown a willingness to invest in specialists. Penn State’s 2027 class already includes long snapper Clayton Powell, and the 2028 class has a commitment from kicker Carter Petri.
There are still three more 2026 freshmen left to be added officially to the roster, including defensive end Elijah Reeder. Iowa State described Reeder as a "hidden gem" of its former 2026 class. Campbell introduced the 4-star New Jersey prospect on Signing Day in Ames last year and said he was the kind of player worth waiting on late in the process.
"It's going to be really fun to see where [Reeder's] got the ability to go," Campbell said during Iowa State's Signing Day press conference in December. "We're always going to keep some scholarships back every year for these purposes - who shines as seniors. I've always felt that ... a lot of the guys in our program who have had great careers have been taken because we've got to watch their senior year and evaluate them, and they came here and had great careers."
Penn State’s roster also includes walk-on wide receiver Hank Lustig, a State College High product and the son of special teams coach Justin Lustig.
The Nittany Lions open the 2026 season on Sept. 5 against Marshall at Beaver Stadium.
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